Cooper Family Fund

Grandmothers often hold a special place in our hearts. Trevor Cooper’s two family matriarchs, Verna Smith and Josephine Cooper, lived to be 99 and 96 respectively, leaving an indelible imprint on the St. Catharines resident. So when it was time for Trevor and his wife Christine to update their estate, they decided to make a lasting impact on Niagara’s senior community in return.

“We were very close with them both,” Trevor said. “I watched them both go through a lot of things and live their lives to the fullest. I wanted to help other seniors experience the same comforts that my grandmothers had.”

The couple established the Cooper Family Fund with the Niagara Community Foundation to benefit causes and organizations that help with caring for local seniors. The fund took little time and work to set up, Trevor noted, making the decision to work with the community foundation even easier.

The Cooper Family Fund was an extension of the charity work the couple already do in the community. Setting up an endowment fund gave the family a sense of comfort knowing they could make an impact on older Niagarans today, and then extend their impact by leaving a gift in their will to increase the endowment in the future.

“If I donate the money to the Niagara Community Foundation, it will stay here and benefit the local space for generations to come,” Trevor said. “I wanted my money to stay in my community and help the people of Niagara. The community foundation will make sure this will happen.”

To learn more about gifts in wills, visit Will Power to find out more.